The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

Good luck with the op Zafiro. My DH also tells me to slow down and not try to achieve too much in the garden. He means well and he's usually right!


The wind has died off today but I have a house to get back in shape so not sure if I'll get out in the garden. It certainly needs some attention. Even the globes got blown off some of the solar lights.

Could someone please advise me on fan trained or espalier fruit trees? There isn't a nursery anywhere close to me and most online companies seem to have sold out so I am considering buying some young, cheap trees from Lidl or Aldi to train myself.

I have a gable end wall which is around 40 feet long and normal house height. There's just one first floor small shower room window in it, so to all intents and purposes completely clear of obstructions. It faces east but is fairly well protected from bitter east winds by adjacent housing.

I am thinking of an apple, a plum and another variety and know that some are self-pollinating and others not. Is there anyone knowledgeable in this sort of thing please? I do have the RHS pruning book for reference, but I wonder what sort of success you have had with fruit trees from the discounters?

I've calmed down and thank everyone for their comments - they made me smile

I'd calmed down before he appeared last night so I didn't have a go - no point. I've decided to quietly get on with things. I'm going to re-organise the utility room so I can sow my seeds indoors.
I'm going to take a leaf out of 'unrecordings' book and not do things too early. It doesn't matter if I don't have tomatoes in June.
Chairs will be dotted around and the no dig method used as far as possible

He's had quite a lot to put with these last four years - I'm going for the bionic look - 2 hips replaced, aortic valve replacement and bypasses and now 2 knees - one next week and one later this year.

For all of you who are young - don't take up a reckless hobby, it catches up with you later in life. I was one for rock climbing, riding and latterly carriage driving. I cannot count the number of times I fell and hurt myself.
In my next life I'm taking up stamp collecting and fishing

Oh Zafiro, you made me laugh. I've never had active hobbies, but the aches & pains of getting older are catching up anyway. At least you enjoyed the excitement at the time.


Primrose & KarmaKat, for watering seedlings in the greenhouse - I stand all pots etc in a shallow tray and after initially watering the pots, I only put water in the tray and let the plants take up water that way. Seems to work most of the time. Hope that makes sense.

unrecordings wrote: »

I'm not sure if this makes any difference at all (but in theory it should do):
I raise my propagators about an inch or two from the windowsill so that any cold air streaming down from the double glazing units isn't trapped around the base of the propagator - I made a little platform, but you could use yoghurt pots etc. The whole scheme is of course rendered largely pointless by the cat

My little greenhouse in unheated, so I start off my chilli and tomatoes in a lidded heated propagator in the conservatory. When they need potting on, they go on the spare bedroom windowsill - with a note on the door saying that this room must be kept cat free at all times !